1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a junction box and more particularly to a junction box in which a plurality of small size standard boxes are coupled to one another to be used in different types of automobile vehicles.
2. Description of Related Art
Heretofore, in order to easily change a bus bar circuit in a junction box that is to be mounted on an automobile vehicle, Japanese Patent Public Disclosure 2001-145231 has proposed a junction box.
A prior art connector will be described by referring to FIGS. 10 and 11. FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional junction box. FIGS. 11A to 11E are plan views of junction boxes to meet special purposes for various kinds of automobile vehicles.
With reference to FIG. 10, the junction box 1 includes an upper casing member 2 and a lower casing member 3. Longitudinal bus bars 4 are accommodated in parallel with one another in an interior defined between the upper and lower casing members 2 and 3. Each of the bus bars 4 includes a plate-like bus bar body 4a, tabs 4b that project from the bus bar body 4a toward the upper casing member 2, and insulation displacement blades 4c which project from the bus bar body 4a toward the lower casing member 3. An electrical cable 5 is pushed into the insulation displacement blades 4c of different bus bars 4. It is possible to easily alter a bus bar circuit by electrically coupling the different bus bars 4 to one another.
The above junction box can carry out a circuit alteration easily to a certain extent. However, since the electrical cable 5 electrically couples the longitudinal bus bars 4 in a single junction box 1, the circuit alteration is limited within a scope and such structure cannot be applied to a great circuit alteration such as an alteration for a different type of an automobile vehicle. As shown in FIGS. 11A to 11E, each junction box must be developed for the special purpose of a particular type of an automobile vehicle. Consequently, there are problems of increase in man-hours for development of each junction box and also the cost of a die for the bus bar.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a junction box that can reduce man-hours for the development of a junction box and also lower the cost of a die for a bus bar by sharing the junction box.